St. John’s continues search after Moser remains at Loyola-Chicago

A week after Chris Mullin announced his resignation as St. John’s head coach, the school has been on the hunt for a new leader. Athletic Director Mike Cragg’s first choice was Bobby Hurley who ultimately decided to stay at Arizona State rather than make a return to the tri-state area. You can now add another denial in the search for a new St. John’s coach.

Loyola-Chicago coach Porter Moser officially announced he was staying with the Ramblers. Moser became a hot name after leading the 11th seeded Ramblers to the Final Four in 2018. The decision to return came after he and the school agreed to a contract extension through the 2025-2026 season.

#OnwardLU 🐺 pic.twitter.com/nosPtZvvjn

— Porter Moser (@PorterMoser) April 16, 2019

“We couldn’t be more excited to continue to have Porter Moser lead our men’s basketball program and have said all along that he is the perfect fit for Loyola,” athletic director Steve Watson said in a statement. “Porter’s accomplishments here, especially over the last five years, speak for themselves, and most importantly, he has achieved success by doing things the right way with high-character student-athletes.”

The coaching search could turn back to Iona’s Tim Cluess. A former St. John’s player, Cluess has led the Gaels to six NCAA Tournament in the ultra-competitive MAAC. His name was one of the first to be mentioned to replace Mullin. Over the last week, it seems that Cragg is looking for a more prominent hire for the Big East school. There is also a matter of a buyout that could be scaring off the Red Storm in their pursuit of the local coach.

Stay with Double G Sports as the St. John’s coaching search continues.